Blog - Sender One Climbing
Send With Women

Send With Women

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Written by Hailey McFelia | Edited by Alexandra Erdman

 

Here, at Sender One, we find it very important to celebrate women in climbing. Our very own CEO is a woman, Alice Kao. Alice has just been presented with the Golden Crown Award from the Global Federation of Chinese Business Women. Congratulations Alice! Since about half of our entire community is women, it would only make sense that we would use Women’s Appreciation Month as an excuse to celebrate women in climbing.

Playa Vista showed us that taking time to climb with your “girl gang” is the way to go! We hosted a screening of the documentary Girls Gone Hueco and served refreshments from a women-owned brewery (Three Weavers). The documentary follows 5 women adventuring out in Hueco Tanks and these women boulder their hearts out while still working a day job! Before the screening Playa hosted a special Send with Women event which gave the community a chance to (literally) stop and smell the roses with a make your own bouquet station. Some climbers took the opportunity to throw some flowers in their hair and send some routes, while others found it to be a fun activity to do while they tuned into different documentaries featuring women climbers such as Nina Williams and Sasha Digiulian. During the event vendors came in to interact with guests and show their crafts (all vendors were woman owned groups and companies). All and all the event was a great way for the ladies of our community to come together and enjoy not just the safe space that sender one has created.

Sender One LAX also put on a fantastic event empowering women! The event was sponsored by  women-lead company, Wondery Outdoors. Wondery Outdoors put together an awesome women-owned vendor village, bouldering competition, and an amazing raffle! Proceeds for the event went toward Black Girls Climb. We also hosted three clinics led by Sender One staff members! Laurel showed us the ways of the speed wall, Stella brought all the powerful shorties to the yard for a Short Beta clinic, and Kadisha showed us the ropes with an Intro to Climbing class. Wondery Outdoors gave away over 100 Isabell pants to guests and we had about 300 attendees in total! Wondery pants were everywhere along with smiles and sends.

If you’re located closer to SNA, we have another fun women-focused event on March 18th! Ascend Together is an event put on with The Cairn Project to highlight Anna Hazelnutt’s film ‘To Bolt or Not To Be’ followed by a discussion with Anna about gender inclusivity in the world of climbing. If you haven’t had a chance to familiarize yourself with this delightful human check out and fun interview we had with her https://www.senderoneclimbing.com/send-with-women-anna-hazelnutt/. You can also scope out her fun climbing content on her Youtube channel. 10/10 highly recommended. 

The Cairn Project which supports outdoor learning & leadership for girls+ around the US. To raise funds for the Cairn Project there will be a raffle before the screening so make sure you arrive before the screening to support! The raffle is at 7pm and the screening is at 7:30pm. The screening will be followed by a conversation on gender inclusivity in outdoor spaces.

Sender One is proud to provide a safe space for women and non binary climbers, but what does that really mean? I think it means a fun space where you feel you can be yourself fully. No shame or worries. So if you’d like to join us just as you are, join us for our Send With Women initiative meetups! 

Westwood: The Final Countdown

Westwood: The Final Countdown

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Written by Eric Ho | Formatted by Alexandra Erdman

 

Sender One Westwood is DAYS away from opening!  We will be soft opening in February and having our grand opening party on April 6th after UCLA students return from Spring Break! We know you’ve been waiting patiently for our next bouldering gym to open. In the meantime, here are some testimonials about the Open House nights, and introductions to some of the staff that you’ll be seeing at Sender One Westwood.

“The outpouring of enthusiasm from the community has been amazing. We are excited to be here, and we are looking forward to providing a great climbing and social space for the folks in and around Westwood Village. It's been a long time coming, but seeing the walls with climbs on them really makes the place come to life, and shows us how close to opening we finally are. This is the social and fitness space that Westwood Village has been waiting for!”
Moses

Director of Routesetting

“The open house on 2/10 went pretty well! Our team gave gym tours almost non-stop for the first few hours of the Broxton Nights event. Based on the number of shirts and day passes we gave away, we estimate that we had somewhere in the neighborhood of 150 visitors that night; many of the visitors were UCLA students who live within walking distance of the gym. There were a lot of folks who were very excited to have a climbing gym opening so close to their home/school. The energy and excitement over Westwood was palpable. I'm sure the WW community is just as excited as we are to open the doors and connect w/ some new folks through rock climbing.”
Czar

Training & Development Manager

“At the open house on 2/1, we had over 300 people walk in between 5 and 9pm!  There were tons of students from UCLA and lots of people from the surrounding Westwood community...We are so excited to finally open this gym! We've been trying to open this gym since 2019.  There were delays due to COVID, then delays due to the city permitting issues.  We were supposed to open this past summer but we ran into a major permitting issue half way through construction and we had to stop work, rip out some of our work and re-do a bunch of work.  Now we are finally at the finish line and just DAYS away from opening."
Alice

Founder, CEO

Meet The Westwood Staff!

Von!

Von is the Westwood Gym Manager! Von has worked with Sender One for almost 5 years! He has been working diligently to get help get the Westwood location up and running and is so excited to see it grow! You'll know Von by his dapper suits and positive energy! If you see him around Westwood, say hi!

Avery!

Avery has been climbing for almost 9 years, both competitively and casually. She loves bouldering and speed climbing, but will sport climb if peer pressured into it. When she’s not climbing, she’s probably reading a new horror book, thrifting, going to a concert, or planning her next trip. She is so stoked to be working at Sender One Westwood because she loves the LA climbing community, and now has a great excuse to convince her friends to come climbing with her.

Luke!

Luke is a junior at UCLA studying Sociology with a minor in Labor Studies. He started bouldering at UCLA’s John Wooden Center and fell in love with rock climbing, as well as the community and camaraderie it builds. He is so excited to work at Sender One in Westwood, where he’ll get to meet and climb with my fellow Bruins. Outside of the rock wall, you can find him reading, playing basketball, thrifting, and looking for new music and movies.

Daniel!

Daniel, first year economics student at UCLA, has been climbing for 2.5 years. He recently went outdoor climbing in J-Tree for the first time and absolutely loved it. He is a big reader and loves podcasts. He played volleyball for almost 5 years. He is excited to get to meet new people at the Westwood Gym!

Sophie!

Sophie started climbing at the age of 10 and fell in love with the sport. She competed until she was 16, then took a long break from climbing to find her love for many other outdoor sports such as skiing. She found her way back to climbing here at Sender One where she reconnected with some staff and climbing partners. She is most excited about Westwood to connect with new staff and members, and to show new climbers our amazing Westwood location.

As we near the home stretch to finally opening Westwood, follow us on Instagram and join the mailing list to get up to date on all Westwood-related happenings!

Calling All Students: Our Grades Are Alot More Fun!

Calling All Students: Our Grades Are Alot More Fun!

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Written by Hailey McFelia | Formatted by Alexandra Erdman

 

Instead of letting all the classes and studying crush you, why don’t you crush IT instead! “Crush it” as in 'to accomplish' and, in our case, it means to accomplish a climbing route.
Get ready for more climbing lingo as you immerse yourself in the world of indoor rock climbing. Who knows, maybe outdoor as well! Everyone’s climbing journey is different. Let’s dive into what this sport has in store for you!

As a student, it’s important to stay on top of your mental and physical health. Pulling on synthetic rocks is a great way to do both! This sport is a full body workout that focuses on coordination, balance, and agility. But, it also takes brain power. Taking the time to read the climbing routes and to solve the puzzle can be stimulating for the mind. There’s also the aspect of overcoming the fear of falling or rewiring your brain to push the limits.

If the idea of sending climbs isn’t enough for you (Sending means to ascend, specifically to ascend and finish a climb), then the community that you find in climbing gyms will keep you coming back. Rock climbers come from all walks of life! You’re bound to find your people! Even if you’re not sure how to approach a fellow climber, Sender One has you covered! 

Each gym hosts meetups and special events weekly! Everything from Send with Pride to Emo Night! Each gym has its own “flavor”, but we’d love for you to call Sender One yours. If you need a little guidance we offer fitness, yoga, and climbing classes. Some of these classes are included with your membership! No extra charge. There’s something for everyone at Sender One. 

I know what you’re thinking…. “A new hobby? In this economy?!”

Never fear, Student Discounts are here!

Just bring proof of enrollment (with a course load of at least 6 units) to set up your membership! There’s no initiation fee! Just $89 a month and you can get started!

Hint Hint: If you're looking to get a jump start at Westwood, you can sign up online here!

Playa Vista’s Winter Bouldering League

Playa Vista’s Winter Bouldering League

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Written by Hailey McFelia | Edited by Alexandra Erdman

 

Winter Bouldering league feels like it was an event made for our Playa Vista location! This gym was Sender One’s first adventure in a bouldering-exclusive facility. So when it’s time for us to host Bouldering League, it feels like the most wonderful time of the year!

Teams of 4 come together to push themselves and each other to send climbs in order to gain points each week. The team with the most points by the 4th week are the champions! Not sure if you can bring a team together? No sweat! Apply as a free agent and we’ll assemble a team for you. Don’t forget to think of a fun team name. Best team name wins a special prize. Last year, the Playa Vista team was pleased as punch with the “Danny De V2’s”. We can’t wait to see what y’all come up with. 

“Climb Together” is one of Sender One’s core values and Bouldering League provides us with an event that truly (and literally) embodies that. It’s true, you can roll on into the gym on your own time to get in your climbs for the week. Even if you can’t make your schedules align with your team, don’t worry! It will all come together for a spectacular evening during Finals Night. Not only will every participant and team be there, but everyone will only have 4 hours to get their climbs in. The energy in the gym is high and the stoke is on! To add to that excitement we also have a raffle with some fantastic prizes thanks to our sponsors. So even if you’re not set on winning the championship, you can join in the fun and get a chance to win some cool prizes.

We look forward to having you at the 2024 winter Bouldering League! For rules and how to sign up click here!

Care For The Crag: Malibu Creek Crag Cleanup

Care For The Crag: Malibu Creek Crag Cleanup

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Written by Eric Ho | Edited by Alexandra Erdman | Photos by Anthony Juan | Banner Photo by Elias Hardt

 

What comes to mind when you hear 'Malibu Creek'? Hiking. Climbing. Planet of the Apes. Bikers. THAT traverse. Gorgeous.

If you’re a member of the Sender One community, you’ll also recognize Malibu Creek, along with Pirates Cove and Stoney Point, as one of the three beloved crags that our Cares Program attends to. It is a premiere climbing destination in SoCal; very accessible from both Los Angeles and Orange County. Malibu Creek has something for everybody: bouldering, sport climbing, as well as top rope options.

If you're wondering what Care For The Crag actually means to Sender, here is our definition!

CARE FOR THE CRAG: Our passion for climbing expands beyond our walls and out into our parks and local climbing crags. Sender One one is committed to sharing our knowledge of outdoor climbing etiquette and doing hands-on work at outdoor climbing areas so that they remain available for years and future generations to come.

Why should we care about our crags? Climbers and other outdoor enthusiasts are already familiar with the maxim Leave No Trace. Everything we bring into an existing ecosystem, we want to pack out. We don’t want to introduce foreign bacteria into a delicate environment. That’s also why we stay on hiking trails and why some sections are blocked off: so that the natural flora and fauna can recuperate from various forms of destruction. Respect the local wildlife and leave what you find (unless it's trash, of course).

Sadly, not everyone always adheres to Leave No Trace, but that’s why Sender One hosts regular crag cleanups! Our crew this past weekend found items large and small, from giant metal frames to broken glass and aluminum bottles. A total of 30 members of the community showed up to help and, together, we collected over 160 lbs of trash! A hearty thank you to all our volunteers who came out on an early Saturday morning and shared in their passion for Care for the Crag.

Save the date for our next crag cleanups: Stoney Point in April and Pirate's Cove in July. Keep crushing indoors and helping us keep the outdoors clean and safe!

Year Of The Dragon

Year Of The Dragon

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Written by Kadisha Aburub | Edited by Alexandra Erdman 

 

February 10, 2024 will mark a Lunar New Year. It’s the Year of the Dragon! But wait, what exactly is the Lunar New Year? We encourage folks to attend Lunar New Year events, chat with folks who celebrate Lunar New Year, and learn a thing or two about the celebration.

We’ll do our best to break down what we’ve learned about Lunar New Year and we’ll be featuring some exciting artwork created by Kat Ku in our new Lunar New Year merch line. 

For starters, the Lunar New Year is characterized by the lunisolar calendar. The lunisolar calendar is marked by the phases of the moon, starting with the new moon phase. The placement of these months is characterized by the Sun-Earth phenomena, the solstice. 

Millions around the world celebrate Lunar New Year, while some dates overlap, some might have differences in the calendar so vary by a few days. For example, Han Chinese, Koreans,Vietnamese, and Yao people celebrate Lunar New Year on the same day. 

So, it’s the year of the dragon? But how did the dragon and all the animals become an integral part of the Lunar New Year? Well for starters it is based on the Chinese Zodiac. The story goes: twelve animals were selected to race one another and to win had to cross a rapid current river. There was a cat and rat who hated one another and were horrid swimmers but were incredibly smart. So they hitched a ride with the generous ox. While the ox carried them across the river the rat pushed the cat into the river, removing the cat from the race. When the ox got to shore, the rat jumped in front of the ox and made first place, with the ox in second. The tiger followed shortly after the ox, coming in third. The rabbit jumped to fourth, and in fifth the dragon. While everyone thought the dragon would be in first, it noticed the rabbit needed help as it slipped on one of the rocks so gave the rabbit a puff of air to get it back on its feet. After the dragon the horse was behind, but the sneaky snake scared the horse at its feet, and slithered into sixth place, with the horse in seventh. After the sheep, monkey, and rooster finished but actually ended up helping one another across the river via a raft. In eleventh place was the dog, although a great swimmer, couldn’t resist wading in the water and taking a bath. And just as the race was about to close, an “oink” was heard in the distance, the pig finishing in last, with it stopping in the middle of the race, falling asleep, and then waking back up to finish in twelfth place. 

While there are a few variations of the story, we hope you learned a fun story about the animals associated with Lunar New Year.

Happy Year of the Dragon!!

Featuring our Lunar New Year merch line: “Discover and Connect”. Artwork done by Kat Ku. 

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